Roadshow: Tips for driving on flooded streets

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Car car drives through standing water under the CalTrain over pass along Santa Clara St. in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014. The big storm made its way south, after pounding the North Bay in the early morning hours. Flooding caused the eventual closing of the street. (Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group)

Q During the recent flooding rains, I was driving down Highway 85 around El Camino where there was water across three of the four lanes. I slowed down and went into the water closest to the dry lane. Mistake. The car suddenly slowed, with water flying up all around it. Fortunately it kept going in a straight line, didn’t stall, and I emerged unscathed.

Lesson. Next time you go through big standing water, go very, very slowly.

Saul Wasserman

Palo Alto

A We need to check with an expert — Ray-the-Tow-Truck-Guy.

Q OMG! I had to fish so many people out of flooded roads. Can you tell people to stay out of high water? There were many streets that were flowing like rivers and people were swamping their cars. I do thank them for keeping me employed, but I don’t like getting wet. And only one of them tipped me, geez!

What happens when one drives into a puddle that is higher than the curb is a wave develops across the grill where the engine air inlet is. When the air inlet is flooded, the engine draws water into the intake. Unable to breathe, the engine stalls. One’s first reaction is to try to restart the engine, but this draws the water beyond the air filter and into the engine itself. Once that happens, the engine liquid locks, potentially destroying the motor. Very bad ju-ju.

Trucks have a higher air inlet than cars do, so they are more difficult to flood, but they need to slow down too. My tow truck’s air inlet is 5 inches off the ground. I saw a lot of cars fording literally raging rivers. People should not drive cars through that.

Ray-the-Wet-Tow-Guy

A And here are tips from the Highway Patrol:

Stay toward the middle lanes. Water tends to pool in outside lanes.

Don’t follow trucks or buses too closely. The spray created by their tires reduces your vision.

When driving through a puddle of uncertain depth, go slow. If it’s deeper than the bottom of your doors, turn around and find another route. Deep water can cause serious damage to a car’s electrical system.

Rain or high humidity can quickly cause windows to mist up inside. In a car with air conditioning, turn up the heat and direct the airflow to your defrosters with the AC switch engaged.

Brake before entering curves. Steer and brake with a light touch. If you go into a skid, ease your foot off the gas, and carefully steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.

Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it: Your car could be swept off the road. Stop the car before entering the flooded area and check the water level ahead. Generally, if the water is deeper than the bottom of your doors or the bottom third of your wheels, it is inadvisable to attempt driving through it.

Q Whom do I contact in San Jose about backed-up storm drains? I tried cleaning one but the clog is down in the pipes underground.

John Kenney

San Jose

A To report clogged storm drains or flooded streets, call the city at (408) 794-1900 weekdays between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., or (408) 277-8956 at all other times.

Gary Richards has covered traffic and transportation in the Bay Area as Mr. Roadshow since 1992. Prior to that he was an assistant sports editor at the paper from 1984-1987. He started his journalism career as a sports editor in Iowa in 1975.

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